Nintendo confirms new Zelda title

Nintendo pulled out all of the stops at their press conference. However, much of the news was things we already knew but just needed Nintendo to confirm. Here is a general run down of what the big N had to say today.

Yes, there is a new Zelda game coming, and it will be called Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. What we know so far is that the game will require the Wii Motion Plus and it will be different from previous titles, but the look and feel might remind you of previous releases. The graphics don’t look that much different from what we have seen before. You will still have some waiting to do, as the game will not arrive till 2011 and we don’t have a clue yet when next year it will come out.

Nintendo decided that the name 3DS was good enough and elected not to change it. The launch title for the platform will be a new installment in the Kid Icarus franchise called Uprising. It will come in two colors and has an analog stick. It will be able to play 3D movies. Nintendo has not offered a release date or price on the 3DS, with both to be announced at a later time. Nintendo claims an impressive array of developers for the 3DS bringing a number of titles to the platform. This will include a variety of titles that have not normally been Nintendo staples and a lot of new content to take advantage of the platform.

Donkey Kong will be headed back for a return on the Wii with Donkey Kong Country Returns with Retro Studios at the helm of this one. It is slated to arrive this holiday season. Kirby will also be making a comeback with a new title called Kirby’s Epic Yarn, which will be the first Wii appearance for Kirby. The game itself features a unique cloth texture appearance that should make its arrival this fall memorable. Epic Mickey will arrive for the Wii later this year, but the company didn’t announce a date.

Goldeneye is finally confirmed as a Wii exclusive. Look for additional details from developer Activision during their press conference tomorrow, but right now knowing that it is in development is plenty good enough.

Overall, we think Nintendo did the best they could, but a lot of the titles still are some time away, and the fact that the company provided no pricing or date for the release of the 3DS is disappointing. I guess if Microsoft does not have to confirm how much Kinect is going to cost, then why should Nintendo be any different?